Vehicle suspension



Feb.- 10, 1931. H. w. BELL 1,791,520

VEHICLE SUSPENSION Filed June 10, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l Izzy: 206 r 9 4" hill INTO? Feb. 10, 1931. Q I I H. w. BELL 1,791,520

VEHICLE SUSPENSION Filed June 10, 1925 5 Sheets-:Sheet 2 Feb. 10,1931. H. w. BELL VEHICLE SUSPENSIQN Filed June 1 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fatented 1F eh. 16?, 1931 I-IARVEY W. BELL, OF ARDSLEY-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BELOYT COBPQR-ATZ'GN, 61 NEW $33.15,

N. L, A 3H 03 DELAXVAR VEHICLE SUSPENSION Application filed June 10,

This invention relates to vehicle suspension systems and particularly to improved means for flexibly connecting the bodies of motor vehicles to the springs thereof, although certain features may be useful for other purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide connecting means of the kind stated which will be reliable and quiet in operation and will require little or no lubrication. it is a further object to provide a connection of this kind in Which the parts are few and simple and are therefore cheap to manufacture and instalL With these objects in view the connection between the vehicle body and a spring may desirably be efiected in accordance with the present invention through a strap of flexible, substantially inelastic material rigidly clamped at its ends to either the vehicle body or the spring, and looped intermediate its ends around a part carried or held in place by the other of said members. Such looped stra is preferably led between side guides whicn prevent side play of the strap, so that the strap is effective to prevent sidewise movement of the body, and is not, itself, subject to rubbing wear. For the purpose of checking side play of the vehicle body the strap is made short and broad, its Width preferably exceeding its length.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing one form of connection embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through said connection;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the connection'shown in Figure 1;

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing another form of the invention;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional side elevation and end views, respectively, of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure? is a vertical sectional view of a connection similar to the one disclosed in Figures 8 and 9, but employing a bushing in 1925. Serial No. 36,249.

connection with the flexible connecting means;

Figures 8 and 9 are side and end elevations, partly in section, showing still another embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 10 and 11 are side and end elevations, partly in section showing a further form (I the invention.

In Figure 1 a laminated spring 1 supported from an automobile axle (not shown) has one of its leaves provided with an upturned perforate ear 2 through which connection is made to a vehicle body 3 for supporting the latter. A yoke 1 is rigidly secured to said spring ear 2, by means of a plurality of headed bolts 5 that pass through the yoke and the and are made fast by lock washers 6 and n 7. The arms 8 of said yoke have aligned openings horizontally supporting a non- Ior rotatable bolt 9, that passes through them, has threaded connection with one of them, and is held in place by a lock asher 10 and nut 11. A strap 12 of strong, flexible, substantially inelastic material is looped around said boltand extends downward therefrom, having its lower ends secured to the lower end of a bracket 13 depending from the body 3. Said strap is wide enough to substantially fill all of the space between the arms 8 of the yoke, is substantially unyielding in its flat plane, and is wider than it is long so that it permits only a very limited sidewise movement of the bodv. The strap is flexible and is also swin :3 able in a fore and aft direction so that it permits free fore and aft relative movement of the spring end and body.

The lower ends of the strap 12 are received in a clamping box or cap 14 and are pierced to receive a plurality of headed bolts 15 whereby they are attached to the bracket 13. A washer 16 is interposed between the end of the strap 12, and a clamping plate 1'? is interposed between the bracket 13 and the strap 12. The surfaces of the cap 14, washer 16, and clamping plate 17 that engage the straps are preferably corrugated or otherwise frictioned, as shown, to grip the strap securely and over a large area. The bolts 15 pass through the clampin box 14, the ends of strap 12, the washer 16, the clamping plate with a leaf of the spring.

17, and longitudinal bores in the bracket 13, being drawn fast into place to clamp all of said parts firmly together by nuts 18, which are held unscrewing by lock washers 19. The clamping box 14 is curved at its upper end as seen at 144 to avoid cutting or wearing the strap as the ap is bentaround it in the operation of the hicle.

lVith the construction described the load on one side of the strap is ubst ally greater than on the other, the friction between the strap and the bolt will be overcome and the strap will at. st itself to equalire the weight on each end, but ordinarily there will be no rubbing surface. The weight at the upper end of the p is distributed over a large area, so tln. .ne wear will e slow and sub stanti a lly un itorm.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 4 is like the form at I exception that a bushing fill the space between the arm mounted on the bolt 9. This ports and spaces the a one another, rigidly rel. greatly increases the s I rt'ng surface at the upper end of strap 12. There is no rul bin of the strap upon th bushing at all, due to t 1e fact that the bushing is freely rotatable on the bolt. The strap, tl' tore, is not subjected to any rubbing wear in this form.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the strap 12 and its connections to the bracket 13 are substantially the same as in Figure 1, but provision is made for locating the strap directl beneath the end of a spring 21. This construction obviates the provision of an upturned ear integral In this form of the invention a yoke 22 rests upon the end of spring 21 and is secured thereto by downwardly extending bolts 28 that pass through the spring and are held in place by lock washers 24 and nuts 25. The arms 26 of the yoke 22 extend downward and horizontally support atransversely extending, non-rotatable bolt 27 which is secured in place by a lock washer 28 and a nut 29. The strap 12 is looped around this bolt 27 and connects the spring to the body bracket 13.

In the form of invention shown in Figures 8 and 9 the spring 30 has a turned up car 31 formed at its end. The ends of a looped strap 31a are connected fast to this car by means of a clamping box 2-32, interposed washor 33, and clamping plate 34, all held in assembled relation by headed bolts 35 clamped tight by a lock Washer 36 and nut 37. in this form of the invention the strap 31a is looped at its lower end around a bolt 38 carried by cars 39 formed on the lower end of body bracket 40. This construction is very cheap to manufacture, because it obviates the pro ision of a yoke for supporting the bolt 38, the bolt being supported directly in the body l 1e yoke from 1 e" the bolt 9, and

bracket, and the strap being clamped oirectly on the spring at its upper end.

In Figure 7 there is shown a portion of a connection made like that of Figures 8 and 9, but in Figure 7 provision is made of a bushing 41 surrounoing the bolt 38, and filling the space between the ears 39, for taking the wear and eliminating all rubbing upon ti o strap.

In the form of the invention shown in F igures l0 and 11, a U-shaped bracket 42 is secured y rivets 43 to the horizontal and vertical walls of channel body member 44. A spring 30, like the one shown in Figure 8, has a strap 316; secured to its vertical car 31 in the manner disclosed and described in connection with Figure 8. The strap 31a at its lower end passes between round tubular bars 45 carried by the legs 46 ot' the U-shaped bracket 42 and passes around a tubular spool or rod 47 below said rods 45. The rod 47 has flanges 48 at its ends for engaging the edges of the strap 31o, but these flanges are not of suflicient height o extend beyond the strap and contact with. the bars 45. The bars 45 bear h ard against the strap 31a and ordinarily revent its movement around the spool 47. l ith this construction the strap will be substantially immovable with relation to the rod 47 so that its surface will not be allowed to rub back and forth upon the rod 47 nor upon the bars 45. As the spring is shortened and elongated under road stresses it moves the upper end of the strap back and forth but this does not shift the looped portion of the strap relatively to the rod 47 nor result in rubbing of the strap against the round bars 45. The strap merely bends about the bars 45, and as it is not substantially worn by such bending it will be very long lived.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and parts of the improvements may be used without others.

lVhat I claim 1s:

1. In a Vehicle suspension, the combination with spring and body members, of a spring shackle comprising a connecting link of flexible material rigidly clamped to one of said members and looped around the other, the link being shorter than it is wide and substantially unyielding in its flat plane to prevent side sway of the vehicle body.

2. In a vehicle suspension, the combination with spring and body members, of a yoke mounted on one of said members, a bolt joining the arms of said yoke, a flexible strap substantially unyielding in its flat plane looped around the bolt and clamped to the other of said members, said strap being wide enough to fill the space between the arms of the yoke and having greater width than length to prevent substantial sidewise move ment of the body.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my nature.

HARVEY WV. BELL. 

